From her words, it seemed that she was determined to head straight into danger. Even these sailors, all loyal servants of the Lu family who had weathered many storms, couldn't help but show a hint of fear on their faces.
Yesterday, the countless lightning bolts, like silver snakes, were like ghostly sea demons, as if they were going to tear the sky apart. The towering waves, carrying layers of hazy water mist, seemed eager to smash the hard rocks into gravel.
They only managed to escape by relying on their years of sailing skills and the blessing of the Goddess Mazu.
If they were to venture into that area again today...
Everyone looked at each other, and the reluctance to go was evident in their eyes.
The old sailor cleared his throat, politely bowed to Li Ying, and then looked at Lu Xunguang, tentatively persuading him, "Master, according to what Madam said, the ocean sunfish is not a ferocious beast that causes harm, and it rarely appears in the coastal waters..."
"If you want to get to the bottom of this, why not choose a calm and auspicious day? There's no need to rush this moment..."
The Lu family never mistreated their servants, and the master was always cautious. He would never put his servants in danger.
Lu Xunguang frowned. His gaze lingered on Li Ying's face for a brief moment that was barely noticeable, and then quickly shifted away. When it landed on the old sailor, it had already returned to its usual calm,
"That strange fish coming ashore must mean something unusual. Since we've noticed this strange celestial phenomenon, following the clues to find out the whole story is the best strategy. There's no need to say more. I've made up my mind today."
He paused for a moment and then added, "If anyone doesn't want to go with me, there are many rafts on the ship. You can just leave on your own. I won't pursue this matter today. You don't have to have any concerns."
"If anyone has the courage to stay and go with me, since you call me master, I will surely protect you all."
He waved his hand and then turned around with Li Ying. The implication was that he didn't want to see those who had backed out. They could just take this opportunity to leave.
After a long while, the old sailor let out a long sigh and finally said in a deep voice, "Master, please sit tight with Madam!"
Most of the sailors were born into the Lu family, and their indenture contracts were firmly in the hands of the master. Why would Lu Xunguang need to force them? With just a simple gesture, even if he wanted their lives, they would have to obediently offer them.
But this brave and upright master of the Lu family didn't use the indenture contracts to threaten them. Instead, he even provided rafts and allowed them to come and go freely.
If they really backed out, they would be nothing but disloyal servants who betrayed their master for glory.
Lu Xunguang turned around, and the sailors were standing neatly. No one had left.
He was also a bit touched and said in a deep voice, "The sea is dangerous. If anything unexpected happens, you just take care of yourselves. Don't worry about me. By my order, everyone must return safely. Only then can you be my trusted subordinates!"
Serving the master closely was such an honor with boundless prospects. Naturally, everyone was overjoyed. They knelt on the ground in unison and piously said in one voice, "Thank you, Master, for your trust!"
The old sailor personally steered the ship. The bow of the ship was like a sharp sword, cutting through the waves straight towards the direction of the cloud.
It was Li Ying who took a few steps away, lowered her voice, and looked at Lu Xunguang with a smile.
"Master Lu is so imposing,"
She deliberately teased him because she could tell that although Lu Xunguang remained calm on the surface, in his heart, he had already tied his life to all the sailors on the ship. With his personality, he would never allow the slightest accident to happen. It was likely that the alarm bells were already ringing in his mind.
Sure enough, Lu Xunguang tightly held her shoulder, and with his other hand, gently held Mianmian's small hand like a dough ball. He said softly, "A Ying, don't worry. The sailors can take care of themselves. As for the safety of you and your daughter, leave it to me."
His appearance as if facing a great enemy made Li Ying can't help but smile.
"Lu Lang, since you know that the place behind the cloud is not a good place, why do you still take risks without hesitation?"
Lu Xunguang said calmly, "Although I may doubt everything in the world, I will never doubt your words."
He said it so firmly that it seemed that even if it was a mountain of knives and a sea of fire, as long as Li Ying asked, he would jump without hesitation.
Li Ying knew that the glance he gave her just now in front of everyone was also to keep her out of the matter.
The sailors were the servants of the Lu family, and they could never disobey their master's words.
But she was only engaged to him, and the wedding ceremony hadn't been completed yet. If she started giving orders on the ship at this time, it was likely that in the future, when she managed the inner courtyard of the Lu family, she, as the mistress, would be privately criticized.
This man really couldn't bear to see her suffer the slightest bit of grievance or be in the slightest bit of difficulty.
Li Ying was touched in her heart. She gently leaned her head on Lu Xunguang's shoulder and said softly, "Silly, I know you're doing this for me, but you should at least ask me about the whole story!"
Mianmian's small hand was restlessly grabbing the silk ribbon around Lu Xunguang's waist to play with. Lu Xunguang was afraid that she would hurt her fingers, so he carefully coaxed her. Hearing this, he just said calmly, "You will explain it to me."
Li Ying took out two snacks from her bosom and stuffed them into Mianmian's mouth to stop her babbling. Only then did a bright light flash in her eyes.
"As the saying goes, fortune lies in taking risks, Lu Lang. If I'm not mistaken, our opportunity lies behind that cloud!"
The stranding of the ocean sunfish was really strange.
Before she crossed over, she had heard that this fish was very stupid and had thick skin. It was said that even if it was bitten by a natural enemy, it would just lie stupidly in the water and let itself be slaughtered.
When she dissected the fish, she had carefully examined it. There were no wounds on the fish, which obviously meant that it didn't crash into the seaweed farm in a panic to escape a predator.
In this case, there was only one possibility left: a natural disaster.
But in recent days, the sea had been calm. Maomao, the little spiritual cat, was like a walking weather forecast. If there was really a typhoon or tsunami, it should have alerted her.
Li Ying had a vague guess in her heart. This sudden thought became even more certain after she saw yesterday's storm and that strange volcanic cloud.
"Lu Lang, do you know that although the volcano at sea is dangerous, it is a great help to us!"
Her eyes were shining brightly, and she didn't hide her eagerness at all.
"To the south of the Western Sea, on the shore of the quicksand, behind the Red River, and in front of the Black River, there is a great mountain called the Kunlun Hill. Outside it, there is a mountain of raging fire. If you throw something into it, it will immediately catch fire?"
Lu Xunguang slowly spoke. His face remained calm, but his voice already had a slight tremor that was not easy to detect.
He had indeed heard a little about this so - called "volcano" in ancient books.
Although he had never seen it, he imagined that it must be an extremely dangerous place where one had little chance of survival.
How could such a desperate situation that swallowed everything be of any help?
Li Ying gave a sly smile.
"With Mianmian and Maomao here, our wishes will surely come true. Congratulations, Master Lu. The era belonging to the Lu family has come."